Project Name:
Morphological and Geographical Variations in Montivipera xanthina (Gray, 1849) Specimens Preserved in Ege University Faculty of Science Department of Biology Zoology Museum (ZDEU).
Project Leader:
Nasit IGCI. Ege University Faculty of Science Department of Biology, 4th-year undergraduate student.
Advisor:
Prof. Dr. Huseyin ARIKAN. Ege University Faculty of Science Department of Biology, Zoology Section.
Abstract:
In this study, 13 Montivipera xanthina alcohol specimens that preserved in Ege University Faculty of Science Department of Biology Zoology Museum (ZDEU) representing 7 different localities were examined. Morphometric measurements and scale/plate counts (pholidosis) which are important in systematics were performed and colour – pattern features and distribution were determined. These findings, which were acquired from 14 morphometric and 25 pholidosis characters (including ratios and sums), colour – pattern features and distribution were compared with the literature. Additionaly, some general informations about its general morphology, biology, ecology, venom, evolution (paleozoological informations) and its conservation status are given. Also actual checklist of the viper species of Turkey and T. R. N. C. based on the recent studies is given.
Key words: Montivipera xanthina , morphology, systematics, pholidosis, morphometry, conservation status, Turkey, T. R. N. C., checklist.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank Prof. Huseyin ARIKAN for his support and being my advisor, Ass. Prof. Bayram GOCMEN for suggesting my project subject and for his kind helps and support, Res. Ass. M. Zulfu YILDIZ for his great helps in all stages of the project, master students Bahadir AKMAN and Deniz YALCINKAYA for their advices, Adem AKTAS for their kind support to my works, Fethi BENGIL for his help in field work, my family for their support to all my studies and The Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for financial support. I also want to thank Mario SCHWEIGER, Alexander WESTERSTROM and Jaap van WINGERDE for providing some papers.
